


Idiom Prompt Fic Collection

by hypocorism



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - All Female, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/F, Gen, Marauders' Era, fem!Marauders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-23 05:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 1,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8315728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hypocorism/pseuds/hypocorism
Summary: 7 short fics based off dog-related idioms, which is this week's theme in the Write Now Imzy community.





	1. First Year: All Bark and No Bite

Remus is nervously thumbing through _Hogwarts: A History_ when the door to her compartment slams open and her new acquaintance James tumbles back through, clutching a bag.

"You've got to save me," she pants, "I've really done it this time."

Remus puts the book on the seat next to her and pokes her head out the still-open door. Another girl is barreling down the corridor toward them at an alarming speed. Before Remus can tug the door shut, she pushes her way into the compartment and grabs James' arm.

"You know," she says, panting a little, "you really didn't have to steal the entire sack of pastries. I would have shared."

"Slytherins don't share," James replies, keeping hold of the bag defiantly.

"Well, good thing I don't plan on being a Slytherin, then, isn't it?" the girl says, tilting her chin up.


	2. Second Year: Barking Up the Wrong Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Prompt here](https://www.imzy.com/write_now/post/prompt_barking_up_wrong_tree)! Come tell me your girl!marauders hcs [here](http://selkieponine.tumblr.com/).

"It makes total sense," Sirius argues.

"It makes zero sense," James snaps. "There is no way that Remus gets 'sick' once a month because she has to go supervise her secret pet phoenix being reborn."

"They don't even age that quickly," Peter remarks, sounding slightly apologetic.

"I can't believe you're acting like _my_ theory is the ridiculous one when James thinks Remus is a vampire who goes and hunts mountain lions to stave off her thirst for human blood," Sirius complains.

"She does wear a black cloak a lot," James points out.

"It's part of our uniform!"

"I still think part-time Muggle superhero is the only explanation that accounts for all the facts," Peter says.


	3. Third Year: Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a well known fact that James Potter is always up to something.

"So, what's the plan?" Sirius whispers to James on the way out of Transfiguration.

"I don't know what you're talking about," James says, blinking innocently at Sirius.

Sirius gives her a look.

"You were taking notes the whole time. Come on, James, even McGonagall was getting suspicious."

"She never has had faith in my near-perfect memory," James says mournfully.

"Uh huh. Sure. Come on," Sirius whines, "I wanna be in on whatever it is! What's so interesting about animagi, anyway?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Prompt here!](https://www.imzy.com/write_now/post/prompt_cant_teach_old_dog_new_tricks)


	4. Fourth Year: Cry Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Accidentally in love, etc.

"James, will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" Sirius asks, batting her eyes dramatically.

"Go away," James grumbles, fresh off her twentieth rejection from one Lily Evans. Sirius, undaunted, spins to Peter.

"How about you? Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Peter's mouth twitches up into a grin and she shakes her head.

"You're not really my type, Sirius."

"Too good for you, I expect," Sirius sniffs. She goes back to walking, swinging her arms about and knocking into all of them as usual. Remus fights down a flare of hurt.

"Don't I get an invite?" she asks. Sirius looks over at her, with a grin that makes Remus feel as if she's unknowingly fallen into some sort of trap.

"Very well. Remus, will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"I suppose," Remus says, hesitantly.

It's not until they're sat across from each other at Madam Puddifoot's and Sirius tries to hold her hand over the table that Remus gets it.

"Oh," she says. "You were serious, with me."

"Remus," Sirius says solemnly, "I'm always Sirius with you."

Remus laughs and squeezes her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Prompt here](https://www.imzy.com/write_now/post/prompt_cry_wolf)


	5. Fifth Year: A Hangdog Expression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fifth year ends on a sour note.

If Sirius was highly convincing at pouting pre-Padfoot, she's positively heartbreaking with the addition of actual puppy dog eyes. Part of the problem is that Padfoot is just so _fluffy_ , with soft curly fur that droops a little over her eyes and frizzes horribly every time it rains. You just can't stay mad at her for long when she's staring at you with those big eyes and resting her head tragically on your leg.

Well, Peter can't anyway. She's the only one who is speaking to Sirius at the moment. James has been tight-jawed and furious since The Incident with Snape. She's really only angry at Sirius, but has been awfully short with Peter as well.

Peter can't decide if Remus, tired and withdrawn, or Sirius, begging and shape-shifting every chance she can get, makes her sadder. She has never been readier to go home for the summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Prompt here](https://www.imzy.com/write_now/post/prompt_hangdog_expression)


	6. Sixth Year: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Padfoot naps in weird places. The Marauders find her using the Map.

The first time, James finds her. Padfoot is curled up in the secret alcove behind the portrait Gwynedd the Grotesque, napping.

"Why are you sleeping on the stone floor when you have a perfectly comfortable bed?" James asks, baffled. Padfoot just wags her tail and stretches, so James looks back down at the Map. "Come on, let's go grab Remus and Peter. I've got an idea that will make the Slytherin team wish they'd never even _seen_ a broomstick."

After that, it keeps happening. When Peter or James need to find Sirius, about eighty percent of the time the map shows her hiding in passages. She's always Padfoot, and she's always asleep. Just as James has talked herself into pressing Sirius for an explanation, the Map changes things again.

The Remus-dot starts following the Sirius-dot and curling up carefully beside it. James relaxes slightly and tries to worry less. Whatever is wrong with Sirius, they'll all muddle through this. Sirius might keep hiding; they just have to keep looking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Prompt here](https://www.imzy.com/write_now/post/prompt_let_sleeping_dogs_lie)


	7. Seventh Year: See A Man About A Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> an ending; a beginning

It starts, as most Marauder shenanigans do, with Sirius complaining.

"I don't get why students can't have dogs," she says. "Loads of people have cats and owls."

"And rats," Peter points out. "Also, I'm fairly certain Dorcas has a hamster."

"Exactly," Sirius throws her hands up. "It's species prejudice, is what it is. What's wrong with dogs?"

"You just want playmates to run around the castle with," Remus says. "Don't act like you're being altruistic." Sirius sticks her tongue out and laughs.

"You know," James says thoughtfully. Remus groans. She knows that tone of voice. "I think I've just had an idea for our final send-off."

"You promised we wouldn't plan that until after N.E.W.T.s!"

"I promised we wouldn't _do_ it until after N.E.W.T.s," James argues.

"Well, I'm in," Peter says. "One more inch of parchment and my brain is going to leak out my ears."

"Fine." Remus closes her book with a snap. She knows when she's beaten. "What's the plan, Prongs?"

"Dogs," James grins. "Oodles of them."

\---

Remus is fairly sure Dumbledore knows exactly where the forty dogs came from and how they ended up with the run of the castle, but he just shakes his head and then adopts an extremely old and highly cranky schnauzer.

He isn't the only one. Most of the dogs have found homes by the time they're all rounded up. The last straggler is a long-limbed black labradoodle: friendly and scruffy and absolutely brimming with energy. Filch chases her up and down the castle for nearly two hours before he finally manages to corner her in the astronomy tower.

The dog is about to be returned to the muggle shelter she came from when Sirius turns pleading eyes on Remus.

"Come on. She's meant to be our dog! She loves us already." Indeed, the labradoodle keeps leaping up and getting her muddy paws all over Sirius' chest and back. (In her defense, she seems to realize this behavior will not be greeted with the same amount of indulgence should she ruin Remus' freshly laundered robes.) Remus sighs, slowly resigning herself to living with not one, but two rowdy puppies post-graduation.

"On one condition," she says. Both the dog and Sirius look at her and cock their heads. "We're calling her Padfoot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Final prompt here](https://www.imzy.com/write_now/post/prompt_see_man_about_dog)


End file.
